Giannis Antetokounmpo clearly still has strong feelings for Milwaukee.
The saga of Giannis Antetokounmpo has finally come to an end with him being traded to the Miami Heat after months of back and forth where Antetokounmpo often loudly criticized the Milwaukee Bucks and alluded to his desire to be traded away, only for him to seemingly back track and say how loyal he was to Milwaukee and how he wanted to stay.
Over time, it became increasingly clear that the relationship between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks was fractured and he was too fed up with the the way that the organization was being operated and with his clashes with the higher-up personnel of the team, it seemed inevitable that he would end up leaving one way or the other.
While that was the ultimate end result of the former-MVP's time with the organization that he spent the first 13 seasons of his career with, it's seemed like it was also an outcome that he wanted to avoid and that even with all of his frustration with the team and his desire to contend for a championship, he above all wanted it to work in Milwaukee.
A Return One Day?
Even now that he's with the Miami Heat, Antetokounmpo is still thinking of the Bucks and hasn't ruled out a return one day.
"That would be awesome if I can go and play and maybe come back. Kevin Garnett did the same thing. I saw this clip of him walking into the [Timberwolves'] arena and [the fans] gave him a standing ovation and people to this day love him," Antetokounmpo said (via Full Court Pass).
Invoking Garnett and his return to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the final two seasons of his career after becoming one of the franchise's legends is an interesting insight into what Antetokounmpo's mindset now.
Garnett ultimately left the Timberwolves and achieved all of his success elsewhere before returning and though he was a starter his entire time playing his last two seasons, it wasn't an impactful time of his career and ultimately was more of a storybook moment for the end of his career.
What Could Be a Storybook Ending
Antetokounmpo's story is slightly different in the sense that he's won one championship with the Bucks, but he is moving on elsewhere to try and find even more success.
A return to Milwaukee down the line for Antetokounmpo, whether he does win more championships on the way or not, could be a similarly full circle moment for him.
The last year was a messy one between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, but if there's one certain thing to be understood from all of his comments, it's that his heart will always be with Bucks fans, regardless of the circumstances that led to his exit.
